


the universe doesn't allow perfection

by brightpinkpeppercorn



Series: Agent Peacock [4]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Flirting, Fluff, Gen, Kindle, Unresolved Romantic Tension, nat faces a kindle, nat pulls out the suavewell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26898982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightpinkpeppercorn/pseuds/brightpinkpeppercorn
Summary: A collection of one shot stories dedicated to the wonderful Agent Nat Sewell based on prompts:The detective introduces Nat to a Kindle. Nat fights through technology the best she knows how, by bringing out the Suavewell
Relationships: Detective/Natalie "Nat" Sewell
Series: Agent Peacock [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1908463
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	the universe doesn't allow perfection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [evil_bunny_king](https://archiveofourown.org/users/evil_bunny_king/gifts).



You watch her, arm stretching to reach the top shelf, sliding her fingers - nails painted a muted peach shade - along the faded, embossed letters of a spine of a book. “Oh yes, here we are!” 

Nat is gleeful, pulling the book from its home, blowing away the dust which had long settled between the case. “I’ve been searching for this book for some time now.” A smile adorns her face as she opens it, delicately smoothing down the yellowed pages, frayed edges. The pure elation on her face is as though she found a sacred, fragile treasure. 

“What’s so special about this book?” You step closer to her, squinting to make out some of the letters and words.

“Pardon my excitement, my darling.” She holds out the book. “This is a first edition print of  _ To The Lighthouse _ by Viriginia Woolf. I have been trying to find a bookstore which carries this for my library.” Of all the places Nat had searched for this particular book, she would have never guessed it resided in the small town of Wayhaven. 

This wish of hers was confessed beneath the clock tower in Wayhaven Square one night on joint patrol. You insisted on checking an online marketplace for inventory but she wanted to check the rival bookstores in town before moving to the larger stores in the city. 

Truth be told, you would never trade the convenience of online shopping for the look of discovery and joy on Nat’s face. 

She turns towards the front desk but pauses, turning back to face you. “Was there any book you needed? My treat, Detective.” 

You run a hand through your hair and shift your weight, not sure how to break your reading habits to her. “I’m fine, thanks. I already have a book I’m reading on my Kindle and I have one audiobook.” You tilt your chin towards the green book in her hands. “Let me get that for you, as a thank you for last week.” 

Nat’s eyebrows are already raised, face full of confusion at what you said. But by the time you make your offer, she’d already walked up to the register and pulled out paper bills to cover the expense of the book. The warm smile she gives the shop owner, carefully wrapping the book in paper, makes its way to you and she waves for you to follow her out of the store. 

“What is a,” her voice drops. “A Kindle? Is that akin to a book you read on your cellular phone?” You nod, reaching into your bag to pull out your handheld device. Her shoulders shrug, taking in in her hand. She slumps against the brick wall of the book store. “And the entire book is contained in here?” She taps a nail on the screen, forehead kitting in frustration. As the inspection continues, her curiosity evolves into shock, mouth falling open. Nat stops, clearing her throat. With a forced elegance, she rids herself of the device, pushing it back to you, watching you drop it back into its home. Seeking relief of the familiar, she hugs her own book to her chest.

“It’s really convenient.” You assure her, standing against the wall next to her. “I have ten books stored in here. And I can read in the dark!”

The corner of her mouth curls into a smile. “I understand the convenience.” She holds out her wrapped book. “For me, each of my books has a history. A travel log. How did this end up from its original locale, likely London, to here? In Wayhaven? Lost in a sea of other tales and stories.” 

A sigh, wistful, escapes her lips and she looks to the sky, eyes chasing a passing cloud, before returning to the book. “Besides. The smell of an old book is incomparable. As is the feel of it.” The fingers run slowly across the paper encasing the book. 

“Feeling the curl of the edges, how time has altered the texture. The slight rise of the dried ink.” You swallow, well aware of what the octave drop in her tone means. A lazy grin spreads across her face. “The shadows cast on the page when you’re reading by lamp or candle light in a dark room. Maybe to yourself or maybe to a companion … say a particular Detective?” 

You clear your throat, straightening to take a deep breath, hoping to slow your now racing pulse. On the exhale, you find yourself moving closer, that gaze that she casts drawing you in like magic. “Good points, Nat.” You swallow. There is a pause, meant to be just momentary, as you recollect the thoughts throwing haphazard in your mind, images of what Nat proposed starting to form. 

The pause stretches, the visual now taking shape: Nat, illumination flickering over her skin, highlighting the softest of her features; long form relaxed, legs and arms wrapped in silk over an ornate chaise; her words articulated into the air between you, most pleasant to your senses. And you’re so lost in this that you don’t notice her lips sinking into a straight line. 

“Are you alright, detective? Have I spoken inappropriately?” 

“No!” Crashing out of your thoughts, you shake your head and answer almost too suddenly. “This detective would like that very much.” 

She lifts an eyebrow, giving you an all too knowing smile, punctuated by a wink. “So, it seems I’ve given you something to consider.” 

There isn’t a chance to reply before Nat shifts onto her opposite foot, swaying away from you and leaning back against the wall again. Silence settles over you both. A few turning leaves of the old trees float down, the brilliant autumnal colors capturing your attention until they land at your feet. Nat is twisting the ribbon tied around the book wrapping, as though toying with whether to untie it now or wait until later. 

You catch glimpses of her as you continue this break in your day. Nat’s attention bounces, between the fluttering of her eyelashes in your direction and the treasure she grips. And she is making it damn near impossible to get that image she conjured out of your head. God, you just want to hear all her words, all times of the day. You tilt towards her, shoulder getting her attention. The browns of her eyes are shining dark gold under the sunshine and they meet yours. “So, are you reading that book tonight, Nat?” 

“Perhaps.” A hum sounds from deep in her throat and she shifts her own shoulder to rest against yours. “However, I am curious. Which book are you reading on your Kindle?”

When you reach into your bag, hand flailing to find your device, you’re unable to tear your eyes away from Nat, looking at you with such intensity that the heat radiating off of her warms your cheeks. For such a cool autumn day, you feel quite warm. Eventually, you do break that hold to bring up your e-book. “ _ A Brief History of Time _ .”

Truthfully, you’ve found the book more difficult to read, falling back on a promise to Verda. And Nat, Nat could make even an academic paper on gastropod morphology riveting. “I’ve been stuck on this book for a month now.” With a tip of the device towards her, you suggest, “I bet if you read it out loud, I’d be more motivated to finish it.” 

When she takes the Kindle from you, she purposely runs her fingers across yours, pads soft like cotton setting off sparks to your spine, as you exchange the books. Nat moves in even closer, leaning into you, placing her hand on your shoulder. With a brush of your hair away from your ear, she responds with words charged, “I am always willing to encourage reading, detective.”

It’s dangerous, but you turn your head just slightly anyway, almost bumping your nose against hers. It is taking everything you have not to taste her lip balm; the smell of roses, sugary and deep, drawing you closer still. Her gaze, now heavy with fallen eyelids, moves down towards the device in her hands, scanning the words on the screen.

There is a giggle, airy, as she shifts into you. Nat’s voice flows into your ear, tickling the lobe, echoing from the hollow. So low, so soft, and your eyes close to block out the undercurrent of noise from the town square. “ _ If there is really a complete unified theory that governs everything, it presumably also determines your actions. _ ”

As the words continue, flowing from a voice fallen into a whisper, your chest begins to swell with affection for her. And at this very moment, Natalie Sewell is the entire world. 

“ _ But it does so in a way that is impossible to calculate for an organism as complicated as … _ ” The exhale would be unperceived by anyone else but oh, how it blows gently against you, the tingle of her sweet breath setting every one of your nerves alight. Her palm cups your jaw, thumb sweeping across your cheek. When you dare look at her again, she greets you with a faint smile, “ _...a human being _ .” 

Maintaining her gentle hold, Nat straightens and maintains focus. Brown eyes deep and curious, studying you, and that smile brightens as it widens. Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips, and she continues the passage. As though she’s committed it to memory. “ _ The reason we say that humans have free will is because we can’t predict what they will do. _ ” She chuckles, it’s more somber than before, and drops her hand to your arm.

Slowly, you blink your eyes open, release a breath, and step back from the vampire. Just as slowly, the hues and the whirls of Wayhaven come back into your periphery. “Well,” there is a crack in your voice, one you wish she wouldn’t notice. She does notice. Lips rolled to hide a smile but betrayed by the crinkle in her eyes. 

A tinge of amusement laces her response, “Well?” 

It takes longer than usual to compose yourself, lost in the lingering, sparkling charm of Nat. Eventually, you manage to cobble the right combination of words together. “So,” you finally speak, maintaining her full attention, “are you starting to see the merits of the Kindle?”

The scrunching of her nose is answer enough, though she does lob a question back, “Do you now have any more desire to finish this book?” Really, you still don’t care for the novel’s content but Nat has made quite the case for persevering through the text. She waits for your affirmation then continues, “Might you be amenable to my proposition?” 

Sometimes you are grateful that she can hear how your heart reacts, relieving your dry mouth from answering. “I have this book in my library. Please, come over this evening and I will continue reading this to you. I quite enjoy the novel.” And sometimes you are grateful that you can actually make her blush, like at this moment with a smattering of red blooming on her cheeks, the bridge of her nose. “As well, I would enjoy your company tonight.” 

“Like a sleepover?”

Nat hands the device back to you and tucks her book under her arm. “Yes, except with how much we have to catch up on, and allowing for some … fun breaks … I don’t think we will be getting any sleep, Detective.” There is no innocence in her words, especially in the way she purrs them to you. 

Your own words are muttered, mind beginning to cloud again as you idly return your Kindle back to your bag. “I am willing to make that sacrifice. For you, Agent.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr, I'd be happy to talk vampires all day! @agentnatesewell


End file.
